


the long way around

by venvephe



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Regency, Arranged Marriage, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Regency Romance, Slow Burn, World Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venvephe/pseuds/venvephe
Summary: “A Grand Tour,” Tyler replies, tugging on Jamie’s forearm caught with his. “You, as my chaperone - only in name, really. Ascompanions. Leaving London and then England herself for Dover, Paris, the Alps, Rome, Venice - and then who knows? A proper education on the continent with all the pleasures it can provide in between. What do you say?”Jamie glances across at Tyler, and he can see the indecision, how much Jamiewantsto say yes. But Jamie’s too good, doesn’t let himself have fun even though he deserves it.Tyler - well. Tyler is adamant about changing that.
Relationships: Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	the long way around

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kalika_999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/gifts).



> This is for Kali (kalika_999) who won a Bennguin fic from me through the Fandom Trumps Hate fanwork auction! I’m so excited about the prompt she gave me, and the story that it’s evolving into. I’ve never written a historical romance despite it being a favorite genre/trope of mine - and for my favorite pairing! It’s been a delight to write so far and I’m really excited to be sharing more of it - I hope you enjoy this first chapter, Kali! There is going to be a LOT more where this came from.
> 
> All my love to Megg and Jen for helping me as I worked through the plot of this fic and figuring out the kind of story I wanted to tell, for cheerleading when I need it and beta reading (and rereading and rereading) when I need help. All of my work is better for your help and friendship, and I am incredibly grateful <3
> 
> Also huge thanks to dizzylu, literaryoblivion, and sarahtheartiste for reading this over in its various forms! I know I’m lucky to have so many people to call on when I need it. Writing fic takes a village and it often goes unseen - so thank you!! 
> 
> All right, onto the fic itself - I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have enjoyed writing it! :)

Tyler bounces on his heels, impatient.

There’s much to be said about respecting proper etiquette, when you’re a young gentleman of London society. _Plenty_ to be said, in fact - especially when your family is of exceptional breeding. Even more so when your parentage is of foreign birth.

Tyler knows this. It’s been hammered into his head, over the years; there are times at which to call on friends, events to be attended over the course of the year, greetings to be exchanged that follow the structure of _decorum._ Common knowledge, when you’ve been a part of polite society for long enough.

Of course, in Tyler’s private opinion, there’s something to be said for ignoring decorum _entirely_.

He probably looks quite the sight, unable to contain his excitement and energy as he stands waiting on the front step of no. 14 Gracechurch Street in the middle of the afternoon. Lord, how long does it take to answer a door? Tyler knows all of the footmen here; he’s going to lose his _mind_ if it takes another -

The door clicks and swings inward, revealing an honest face and dark, curly hair. “Oh, Mr Seguin,” Johns says, and he doesn’t get another word out before Tyler’s striding inside, doffing his hat in a quick hello. He ignores the fleeting but familiar expression of amusement on the valet’s face; he hadn’t sent word that he would be visiting today, but they never seem surprised to see him.

Tyler gives the briefest of double-knocks on the heavy door at the end of the hall before entering the study. He can’t wait another moment - and really, its occupant should know by now what that particular knock means.

Jamie Benn is, naturally, exactly where Tyler expects him to be.

The man before him sits at a heavy wooden desk, pushed against the far wall - better to see out the cramped window - and covered in neatly organized stacks of paper. The afternoon light streams in, or whatever light London’s oft-grey skies have to offer today; it turned the edges of his combed-back hair gold from behind. Tyler knows the set of those shoulders, clad in a dove-grey dove-grey waistcoat with his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, clearly not expecting any company.

“There you are,” Tyler says warmly, only somewhat aware of the breathless tenor of his own voice as he steps inside. “I’d hoped that you would be home when I came calling.”

“I thought you’d already memorized my schedule, Mr Seguin, for how often you visit me in the afternoon,” Jamie says, not looking up until he’s finished writing the end of his sentence. When he glances away from his correspondence, Tyler can see the gleam of good humor in his eyes and the curve of a wry smile on his lips. Teasing, as always - especially with the use of a formal name. They’ve long been just _Jamie_ and _Tyler._ “I could accuse you of fishing for an invitation to dinner, coming by so late in the day.”

“Well, _someone_ needs to drag you away from your desk once in a while,” Tyler grins. “When you can’t be bothered to walk with me in the mornings, I’m forced to come to Gracechurch in the afternoon.”

“ _Drag me away_ ,” Jamie repeats dryly, and turns to face Tyler properly, “As if we don’t already have standing dinner plans together more than twice a week.”

“If you’d like to file a formal complaint about my behavior, that’s too bad - I’m afraid I won’t hear a word of it,” Tyler grins and takes a few steps further into the study - until he can lean an arm across the back of Jamie’s chair and peer at the state of his desk. “My, you’ve been busy. Is it the time of year?”

“Among other things,” Jamie says, eyeing Tyler with amusement and maybe a small amount of suspicion. “If it wasn’t for the express purpose of securing a dinner invitation, may I ask as to your purpose for stopping by?”

“Oh! Yes. So to the point, Jamie,” Tyler rolls his eyes, aware that his voice sounds more fond than teasing. It’s fun, anyway, and so enjoyable to watch the tips of Jamie’s ears burn pink when Tyler says his given name. “I have good news!”

“Oh?” Jamie quirks an eyebrow.

“The news I have been waiting for, as I’m sure you remember,” Tyler grins, stepping away from Jamie to spread his arms wide. “My parents have agreed to send me on a Grand Tour this summer!”

“Your Grand Tour,” the smile on Jamie’s mouth is probably due to Tyler’s enthusiasm more than anything else, but Tyler doesn’t mind. It’s Jamie, after all. “That’s fantastic! No wonder you’re excited.”

“And you’re to join me as a chaperone!” Tyler continues, and can’t help but laugh a little at the shock that quickly takes over Jamie’s face.

“I - what?” Jamie’s brow furrows in confusion, his smile dimming. “ _Chaperone?_ As if I can get you to behave yourself here in London -”

“Hey!”

“ - you got Lord and Lady Seguin to agree to this entirely based on the fact I would be traveling with you, didn’t you?”

Tyler sighs and rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his hip. “I mean - yeah, more or less. Haven’t you always wanted to go, though? See the continent? The world outside your study window?”

Jamie glances away, some color spreading to the tops of his cheeks. “You _know_ I want to. But to go so far without asking first, and you know how much I have to take care of here - ”

“I _did_ ask your brother,” Tyler confesses, biting his lip to stop his smile as Jamie continues to look agog at all the news. “He agreed with me, for what it’s worth - said you were due to have something nice for yourself, a little travel for how hard you work. He’s prepared to step in during your absence here in Gracechurch, and return to the country once we’re home. We won’t be more than a few months anyway, Jamie. You know I couldn’t bear to leave my sisters for any longer than that.”

And there - _that’s_ what Tyler’s looking for: the reluctance on Jamie’s face breaking as he hears Tyler’s plan, the lengths he’s already gone to secure this trip for them. Tyler knows his friend well; if Jordie has given his blessing, then Jamie can let go of some of his responsibility, let himself have fun.

That’s the hope, at least - and entirely the point of a Grand Tour, in Tyler’s opinion.

“Your parents _do_ realize that I’m only two years your senior, and I’m hardly an appropriate chaperone,” Jamie finally replies, and Tyler has to resist pumping his fist in victory. That’s basically a _yes_ , coming from Jamie. Even if he hasn’t quite admitted it to himself yet, Jamie is _in_.

Tyler scoffs, putting his hands back on his hips. “Come _on_. Two years my senior but infinitely more responsible, both of us know that. Together, I hardly think we’ll get into hardly any trouble on tour.”

Jamie raises an eyebrow, a slow smirk forming on his handsome features - a smirk that Tyler matches easily. “Hardly any trouble at _all_? That doesn’t sound like us.”

“Well, my parents don’t know that,” Tyler chuckles. “More importantly, it doesn’t sound like _you._ That’s all it took to convince them that we should make a trip of it together.”

“Is that so?” Jamie leans back in his chair, still smirking.

“What do you say, Mr Benn?” Tyler asks, unable to contain his smile or the hopeful excitement pattering a tempo in his chest. “I don’t think adventure herself can come knocking at your door any clearer than I have now.”

There’s a beat where Jamie looks up at him, something in his eyes that’s undeniably warm, but Tyler can’t quite put his finger on. Jamie’s going to say yes, right? Everything hinges on the two of them going together - he wouldn’t want to take anyone else with him, honestly. Tyler’s almost second-guessing himself when Jamie stands slowly, unbuttons his shirtsleeves so that he can roll them back down to his wrists and fasten his cuffs again.

Tyler almost misses the sight of Jamie’s bare forearms, but his eyes drag back up to Jamie’s face when he exhales a sigh, straightening his shirt with a few deft tugs. He’s taller than Tyler, now that they’re both standing - but only just. It makes something curl in Tyler’s belly.

Something besides the warm weight that’s usually there when he and Jamie spend time together.

“I guess I can let you convince me over dinner,” Jamie says, and this time it’s Tyler’s turn for his face to flush, more pleased than he wants to admit.

He grins at Jamie, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels, all confidence and pure excitement again. “Now that, my friend, I can do.”

\---

They head to one of their usual spots, the Antares Club - it’s a regular favorite, so Jamie doesn’t tease Tyler too much about attempting to flatter him into joining the Grand Tour. Admittedly, they’re there pretty often, since it’s a perfect distance for a pleasant evening stroll to and from Jamie’s home at Gracechurch. They also have some of the best baked fish in London, in Tyler’s opinion, a personal favorite of his own from so many childhood summers fishing for his dinner at the lakes. Jamie always gets a savory pie, though he’s loathe to admit it’s what he will order on every visit. The coffee is top-notch too, and they can always count on the club to be quiet enough for a dinner conversation.

“Would you like to hear the plan again?” Tyler asks as he pulls out Jamie’s chair and then his own. It’s an unnecessary formality, but the pleased color on Jamie’s cheeks always makes the act worth the trouble. “I know it’s been some time since we last discussed it.”

“S’cute that you think I don’t remember your great plan, after hearing it over and over again all winter,” Jamie rolls his eyes, fussing with how his cravat lays against his chest. “As if I didn’t suffer for _months_ as you schemed on how to present said plans to your parents so that they would finally agree.”

“And it worked, didn’t it?” Tyler cocks an eyebrow. “All you have to do now is say yes.”

Jamie sighs, and the waiter stops by with wine before he gets the opportunity to reply. He swirls the red in his glass, takes a sip before turning his eyes to Tyler again. “Let’s hear it out, then. What is your magnificent plan for this Grand Tour, Mr Seguin?”

“It’s the perfect plan,” Tyler starts, choosing to ignore the thread of wry amusement in Jamie’s tone. “We’ll depart London for the cliffs of Dover to catch the ferry ship across the channel. It’s a day’s time to the coast and almost a full day on the ferry itself, but then we’ll be in _France_. From there - we should see Paris, meet some of my parents’ connections and indulge their hospitality. Go dancing, see an opera. Give them something to write to my parents about, at least. From Paris - south and east, through the Alps and into Italy for some fine wining and dining through their cities and countrysides.”

“Emphasis on the _wine_ , I assume?” Jamie mutters into his glass as he takes a sip, and Tyler kicks him gently in the shin under the table.

He grins despite himself at Jamie’s wince and impish half-smile. “And then - after absorbing some culture in Florence and Venice, we find our way south to Rome. The ancient wonders, and all that. Give it another few weeks to retrace our steps north again, into Austria and Germany, come home across the channel by way of Belgium.”

“It sounds quite... educational,” Jamie says, and Tyler’s smile only broadens. Despite the responsibilities life has thrust upon Jamie, the two of them have been of the same mind ever since they became friends. Well - there are certainly many things they disagree on. But the thirst for adventure, for seeing the world beyond what London and society and England has to offer - in that, they have always been united.

“It’s not the New World,” Tyler says, “but I have every intention of being _educated_ in many respects.”

He indulges himself in a wink in Jamie’s direction, and it doesn’t miss its mark. Jamie blushes easily, which spreads quickly across his well-formed cheeks. It’s one of the many things Tyler likes about Jamie, actually. He’s a man of few words and he tends to keep things close to his chest, but there’s no mistaking the truth as told on Jamie’s face. His expression often belies him, even when Tyler can’t manage to cajole every secret out of him.

Jamie clears his throat - apparently, tonight, he won’t rise to the bait. Hm. Maybe they need more wine. “And what about the other reason for this Grand Tour, eh?”

“ _Please_ , Jamie, don’t remind me,” Tyler sighs, putting down his glass with a dramatic _thunk_. “But fine, I’ll admit to it - our Grand Tour does intentionally delay the inevitable, _unbearable_ prospect of my parents attempting to find me a match. There, happy?”

“No,” Jamie’s mouth twists into a displeased frown. _That_ , at least, settles a little bit of the knotting in Tyler’s stomach. “Of _course_ I don’t want to see you married off in an arranged match; I wouldn’t wish that on any of our friends. And you’d take it the worst, by far.”

“Why thank you, what a generous assessment,” Tyler grumbles, but he knows it’s the truth.

“Don’t be like that, Ty,” Jamie sighs, and their conversation is broken for a moment as their dinners are served. Tyler purses his lips; across the table, Jamie fiddles with his cufflink, his glass - anything to avoid Tyler’s gaze, until the waitstaff has stepped away and they move to pick up the thread again. “I think you’re entirely right to ask Mr and Mme Seguin not to arrange a marriage. You’re your own man and can make your own choices - not to mention you’d be miserable.”

“As I’ve _told_ them, and you,” Tyler exhales through his nose, carefully cutting off a bit of meat and stabbing it harder than necessary with his fork. “I know it’ll only put it off for a time, though - but who knows? Maybe the Grand Tour will change my view of the world and our place in it, so that when we return, I’ll have an idea of what I _do_ want.”

“That makes sense,” Jamie says softly, “but I don’t think that you’ll come home and want to settle. I know you.”

Tyler feels heat rise under his collar from being under Jamie’s stare. His quiet intensity doesn’t come out very often, but it’s a trait he very much likes about Jamie - though it is quite something, to be underneath the spotlight of his attention.

A good something, though.

“And what about your sisters?” Jamie asks, after a beat of comfortable silence. “They’re on board with this plan?”

Tyler laughs. “Oh, if only they were old enough to come with us - they would, don’t think they didn’t beg to come along. But they helped convince my parents to agree, and they do like you, you know.”

“I can’t fathom why,” Jamie intones, and Tyler grins at him.

“Hey, it’s not our place to figure out what goes on in the mind of young girls,” Tyler laughs. “Heaven forbid we even try.”

“I’ll stick to the business I _do_ know,” Jamie smiles. “Apparently, that’s keeping an eye on you.”

“Well, someone’s got to,” Tyler smirks, and Jamie rolls his eyes heavenward.

\---

“So it’s settled, then?” Tyler asks some time later, after they have finished their dinners and two glasses of sherry each. He helps Jamie shrug his coat back on, hands over his gloves and hat when Jamie has finished with the last button. It’s a pleasant night, with only a slight chill to the air; spring has finally started to melt into summer.

It’s mild enough that they don’t need to walk arm and arm for warmth, but Tyler offers Jamie his arm anyway, privately smiling to himself when Jamie accepts, as always. All the better for them to talk on their walk back to Gracechurch without being overheard, honestly. It’s a habit they’ve formed after years of friendship; they can be found like this on many evenings, heads bent as they conspire and joke underneath the oily London lamplight and the pinpricks of faraway stars.

“Settled what?” Jamie says, catching Tyler’s glance out of the corner of his eye. Tyler snorts; he has no doubt that Jamie knows what he’s talking about. He just wants Tyler to say so.

“Our Grand Tour,” Tyler replies, tugging on Jamie’s forearm caught with his. Another way the easy contact has its advantages. “You, as my chaperone - only in name, really. As _companions_. Leaving London and then England herself for Dover, Paris, the Alps, Rome, Venice - and then who knows? A proper education on the continent with all the pleasures it can provide in between. What do you say?”

Jamie exhales softly; Tyler can tell from the twitch of his hand that Jamie’s resisting the urge to rub at his chin in thought, a habit he picked up from his older brother. It looks a little more ridiculous on Jamie, since he doesn’t have his brother’s bushy beard. “And you asked Jordie already about my going? If it would be too much of an interruption to the business - “

“Yes, yes, yes - and yes to whatever else you’re thinking, too. I can see the gears in your mind turning.” There will probably never be a day where Jamie worries less than Tyler does - Tyler prides himself in having very few things that he worries about - but he’s taken care to think of anything Jamie would try to use as a reason not to go. No reasons, no excuses.

Jamie’s too good, doesn’t let himself have fun even though he deserves it. Tyler - well. Tyler is adamant about changing that.

“It’ll all be taken care of. All you have to say is yes,” Tyler continues, aiming for flippant and landing somewhere a little closer to pleading, even to his own ears.

They slow to a stop on the cobbled street, Jamie’s arm slipping from Tyler’s as he turns to face him. The lamplight catches on Jamie’s dark hair, the soft cut of his cheek, illuminates the brightness of his brown eyes in an uncommonly fetching way. Tyler’s heart thuds in his throat.

“And you _want_ me to say yes,” Jamie asks, but it’s less of a question, now. Something like hope catches its wings on the insides of Tyler’s ribs.

“Yeah,” Tyler exhales, a smile coming unbidden to his face. “Yes, of course, Jamie. This would be - a dream, to travel with you like we’ve always talked about.”

The smile Jamie gives him in return makes Tyler’s heart full to nearly bursting.

“Then yes,” Jamie says, like it’s as simple as that. And maybe it is, but - Tyler can’t help it. He links his arm with Jamie’s again, turning back in the direction of Gracechurch and hoping the lamplight hides the happy flush on his cheeks. _Hell_ yes.

“ _Yes!_ Jamie, you won’t regret it,” Tyler tugs Jamie along in his excitement, Jamie’s laughter ringing down the street. “We’ll have an amazing time, I promise!”

It’s going to be more than just amazing. This is going to be a trip that changes both of their lives. He can feel it.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at [venvephe!](http://venvephe.tumblr.com/)  
> I'm also [venvephe](https://www.pillowfort.io/venvephe) over on pillowfort!  
> For hockey-focused content, I'm [tigerseguin91!](http://tigerseguin91.tumblr.com/)
> 
> I'm also on twitter! Find me there at: @[venvephe](https://twitter.com/venvephe) and @[ven_writes](https://twitter.com/ven_writes)


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